For hundreds of years, since the building was erected on the site of the grave of our mother Rachel, the place - the building with the oak tree next to it - has been documented in dozens of documents, paintings, wood and copper engravings, and photographs.
After the Oslo Accords, Rachel's Tomb remained an enclave within the Palestinian Authority. A long reinforced concrete tunnel was built above the tomb to ensure the safety of worshippers from terrorist fire.
Over time, to increase the feeling of comfort, the place was renovated. The iron sign with the inscription 'Rachel's Tomb' was found by one of the people responsible for the renovation in a scrap metal compound. The sign was bought and reinstalled, and the walls of the tunnel were decorated with illuminated glass signs, telling the story of the buildings' encroachment on the tomb.
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A painter of Russian origin took all the collections of paintings, photographs, and woodcuts - and created a series of paintings from his own brush, a perfect reproduction of all those paintings depicting Rachel's Tomb, from then until today's pictures of the complex.
The two pillars at the entrance to the Rachel's Tomb complex, which Montefiore erected with the symbol of the Montefiore dynasty, were decided to be left within the tomb's space, even though a huge stone and concrete structure was erected above it for protection, in order to preserve the character of the place as everyone remembers it from photos or from childhood. Leaving the pillars in their exact location increased the expense.
A few years ago, a veil made from the wedding dress of Nava Applebaum, who was murdered along with her father more than 10 years ago, a day before her wedding, was placed in Rachel's Tomb itself in the murderous attack at Cafe Hillel in Jerusalem.
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